Beautiful Mistake
by LostinOblivion
Summary: Matt Flannery was a mistake, Emily's biggest mistake, but the most beautiful mistake she'd ever make.


Emily laid on her side, her arms pulled close to her chest, eyes open, but barely moving as she watched his chest expand and d

Emily laid on her side, her arms pulled close to her chest, eyes open, but barely moving as she watched his chest expand and deflate in a slow, steady rythm. He was sound asleep, turned on his side, facing her. His long, dark lashes contrasted against the pale skin beneath his eyes. His hair was a mess, tousled in sleep, and sliding down his forehead, falling toward his eyes, making him look younger, almost innocent.

She grinned at that thought. There was nothing innocent about him, certainly not about the things he'd done to her body only hours ago. They were both still naked from their encounter, relying mostly on each other's body heat, and a sheet to keep them warm. Generating heat had never been a problem with them; keeping it from burning them alive, that was more of a problem.

Emily brushed a lock of hair off his forehead, smiling as she watched him sleep. He was peaceful, and so beautiful sleeping there, more so because she loved him. In all her years at the Bureau, she'd never imagined falling so hard for her partner, but she had. It was a mistake that knocked her off the carefully plotted course she'd been on since she'd joined the Academy. But it was the kind of mistake that was okay to make, the kind she knew she'd make again given the chance. A beautiful mistake.

Actually, she made that mistake again today.

The higher-ups had dragged her into an office, and explained their view on things. She had a hell of a career at the Burea ahead of her, they'd said, if only she kept her pants buttoned from now on out. They wanted to offer her a supervisory position in the Chicago CNU; it was a transfer, but it came with a good promotion. They'd overlook the thing with Flannery, they assured her. After all, everyone makes mistakes. A mistake, that's what they'd said. For the promotion all she'd have to do was admit to that one little mistake, and they'd forgive her for it, and send her packing to Chicago to run her own CNU.

That got Emily thinking. Was Matt a mistake? Did she make mistakes with him?

Yes.

Undoubtedly, the first mistake she made was looking into, _really_ looking into his beautiful chocolate brown eyes. That was how she knew there was more to him than his outside, playboy persona suggested. If that illusion of him hadn't been so completely shattered with that one look, she wouldn't have been interested in him at all. But it became clear, just by that one glimpse he'd allowed her, that there was something more there.

Yes, that was definately her first mistake.

The second, that had been allowing herself to be curious. Sure, it was just friendly back then, platonic curiosity about her new partner, about the wounds he was so clearly hiding. Of course, she hadn't really found out about that big one until after they were together, at least not the details. She just had to get to know him though, the shrink inside her was so damn curious.

Really though, it was her third mistake that was the dousie.

She'd let him in.

She could have fallen into his eyes, known the deepest recesses of his soul, and still walked away. Sure, she would have been a bit scathed, a little burnt maybe, but she would have been able to do it. Now though, she was pretty sure she didn't have that luxury. He'd been inside her, both literally and figuratively, he knew her secrets, her fears...he had her trust. After so many years of holding it close, refusing to give it up, she'd finally given it to him.

If she tried to walk away now, she'd end up more charred than if she'd been left on a rotisserie spit. And, that was only if she managed to get up the willpower to do it.

Not that she wanted to walk away. No for once in her life, Emily was happy. Not just happy, she was content...she was in love. All because of those few little mistakes. And that's what she told them.

Yesterday, all her self-preservation instincts told her to take that offer, and run like hell, as far away from him as she could get. Instead Emily made her final mistake. She turned down a promotion that, only a year ago, she would have jumped at the chance to take. This wasn't part of her plan, not the plan she'd envisioned when the FBI recruiter came to Princeton.

Yes, Matt Flannery had caused her to make a lot of mistakes, but he was the most beautiful mistake she'd ever make.

Finally, Emily's eyes grew heavy, and she inched closer to him, pressing herself against his body. Her movement awoke him, and he looked at her tiredly, blinking his eyes, sleepy confusion covering his face.

"Hey, you okay?" He was concerned that she seemed to be huddled against him. She simply nodded in response.

"You sure? Did you have a nightmare?" Matt was just lucid enough to know that they usually only ended up curled together like they currently were, if one of them had a nightmare.

"I'm fine," Emily assured him, pressing her lips to his in a soft kiss. Then she laid her head against his chest, and exhaled, her body relaxing against him. Matt shrugged, she seemed fine, so he tightened his arms around her, and fell quickly back to sleep.

Beautiful mistake though he may be, he was a mistake that she'd never regret.

* * *

_Sorry been busy, the next Cleo story is going to be awhile. Thanks for reading!_


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